“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers.” (NIV)

My Bible reading notes have just started to look at some of the psalms for two weeks. Today it is Psalm 1 and the thought for today was to spend some time looking at a tree and asking what God is saying about our roots and our fruit.

I felt that I could share the thoughts that came to me.

We have a beautiful Korean hill cherry tree in our garden which gives beautiful blossom in the spring and amazing colour in the autumn. It has already lost its leaves now but there are tiny, tight flower buds ready for next year’s new blossom in the spring. I thought of the eternal circle of life, never changing, and how Jesus’ love is never changing and always there for us.

The roots of the tree go deep into the ground and take nourishment from the water there. This sustains the tree and helps it to grow and produce fruit. This in turn provides food for the birds in my garden. I sat and watched the birds feeding on the seeds that I provide for them hanging in feeders on that tree and I thought of the diversity in God’s creation. There were beautiful great tits, blue tits, a coal tit, sparrows, a robin, wood pigeons, a collared dove, a blackbird and magpies. The tree also provides shelter for the birds from predators and protection from the sun for us in the summer.

So I thought that if we keep our roots grounded in the water of life through Jesus we too can grow and provide fruit for others; a listening ear to someone in trouble, friendship and whatever the Lord calls us to do.

Without water the tree will not thrive and in the same way without Jesus we will not thrive.

This is just a short, basic meditation but I hope that it helps someone.

Eileen Cohen